Traction-engine.



I. HEOKMAN. TRACTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED 213.10, 1912.

1 097 429 Patented May 19, 1914.

WITNESSES lNVENTOI? ATTORNEYS "UNITED STATES PATENT orrIoE.

FRED HECK'MAN, OF MARIA STEIN, OHIO.

, TRACTION-ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 19, 1914.

Application filed February 10,1912. Serial No. 676,706.

i'liulingwagons or for drawing plows, pul- -Vm'iZ-ers, seeders, mowers,harvesters and other farm machinery over the fields, and arranged toenable the operator toconveniently handle the traotionengine and topermit of :making short turns. For the purpose mentioned use is made ofaplatform supporting a motor, a divided axle, traction wheels rotatingwith the said divided axle,

w an axle frame pivoted: on the platform and carrying the divided axle,and differential gearing connected with the said divided axle andmounted on the'said axle frame, and adriving gear for driving the saiddifferential gearing from the said motor. A practical embodiment of theinventlon represented in the accompanying drawings forming a art of thisspecification, in which similar c aracters of reference indi- Catecorresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the traction engine as attached to afarm wagon,-

one of the traction wheels being removed;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the traction engine with the shiftingmechanisms for the reversing gear omitted; Fig. 3 is a frontendelevation of the traction engine, parts being insection; and Fig. dis asimilar view of the same and showino' the traction wheels arranged indifferent horizontal planes? for plowing purposes.

On the front end of a suitably constructed platform A is arranged abearing B in which, is journaled the vertical pivot Oof an axle frame Cprovided with bearings 0?, C in which are journaled the sections D, D ofa divided axle carrying the traction wheels E and E. On the inner endsof the sections D and-D of the divided axle are secured bevel gearwheels F, F in mesh with pinionsFf, F journaled on a frame F to permitof turning the sections D, D one faster than the other when turning thetraction engine around a corner. On the bevel gear wheehF is secured alarge bevel gear wheel G in mesh at the top with a bevel gear wheel Gsecured on the lower end of a vertically-disposed shaft Gr extendingcentrally through the pivot C and journaled therein, and on the upperend of the'shaft G is secured a bevel gear wheel Gr adapted to beengaged at opposite sides by bevel gear wheels H and H mounted to turnwith and to slide on a transverse shaft H journaled in suitablebearings'B attached to or forming part of the bearing B. The bevel gearwheels H and H, are engaged by shiftng devices H H, of any approvedconstruction, to permit the operator to shift the sa d gear wheels H andH on the shaft H with a view to move either bevel gear wheel H, H intomesh with the bevel gear wheel Q Thus when the bevel gear wheel H is 111mesh with the bevel gear wheel G and the shaft H is rotated in a forwarddirection then a rotary motion is transmitted to the shaft G whichbyathe ear wheels G, G

causes a driving of thedi erential gearing formed of the gear wheels F,F, F and F whereby the sections D, D of the divided axle are driven andwith the said sections the traction wheels E, E to propel the tractionengine in a forward direction. When the bevel gear wheel; H is moved outof mesh with the bevelgear wheel G and the .bevel gear wheel H is movedin mesh with the said bevel gear w'heel Gr and the shaft H is rotated ina forward direction, then a reverse turning movement is given to thetraction wheels'E, E to move the traction engine backward.

A motor I of any approved construction, preferably an internalcombustion engine, is mounted on the platform A and on the shaft Iof'the motor I is secured a pulley J connected by a belt J with a pulleyJ secured on the shaft H previously mentioned, so that when the motor Iis running a rotary motion in a forward direction is given to the shaftH for driving the traction wheels E, E as above explained. Othertransmission mechanism may be employed.

The platform A is provided at its rear end with a. depending bracket K.adapted to be connected by a coupling L with the forward In order tosteer the traction engine the following arrangement is made: Airope orcable '0 is connected at its ends to the bearings C C and the said ropeor cable winds on a pulley 0 held on the lower end of a steering shaft 0journaled in suitable hearings on the platform A, and provided at itsupper end with a hand wheel 0 under the control of the operator seatedon a seat P mounted on the platform A.

Thus by the operator turning the hand wheel 0 in one direction thedivided axle is swung in a horizontal direction to cause the tractionwheels E- and E to travel to one side, and when the hand wheel 0 isturned in the opposite direction the traction engine is steered to theopposite side. On the steering shaft 0 is secured a bevel gear wheel Oin mesh with a bevel gear wheel 0 se cured on a shaft 0 extendinglongitudinally and j ournaled on the platform A: The rear end oftheshaft is connected by a universal joint 0 with an auxiliary steeringshaft 0 carrying a hand wheel 0 under the control of the operator whenthe latter is seated on the'Seat N. Thus when turning the hand wheel 0 arotary motion is given to the steering shaft 0 to turn the tractionengine either to the right orto the left according to the directioninwhich the hand wheel 0 is turned. In order to insure propertransmission of power from the motor I to the shaft H use is made of abelt tightening pulley Q engaging the upper run of the belt J. The

pulley Q is journaled on a tightening lever Q fulcrumed on the platform.A andconnected by a link Q with a hand lever Q? under the control of theoperator when seat.

ed in the seat P. The hand lever Q is provided with a locking lever Qadapted to engage a notched segment Q, fixed on the platform A. Thusby'the operator manipulating the hand lever Q the tightening\ pulley Qcan be moved in; contact wit the belt J with aiview to insure a propertransmission of the power from the motor I to the shaft H In order toenable the operator when seated on the seat N to control the tighteningpulley Q the following arrangement ismade:v The hand lever Q? isconnected with a hand lever Q, extending rearwardly to within convenientreach of the operator seated on the seat N, and the hand lever Q, isprovided with a lever and link connection =Qlfc0nnected with the lockinglever Q, so

a I that the operator seated on the seat N"- can i actuate the lever Qin the same manner as above described, with the operator seated on theseat P. The auxiliary steering shaft I O is journaled in asu itablebearing R carriedbv the platform A, and the supplemen tary lever Q} isguided on a guide R erected on the platform A..

a ,When the. traction engine is used" for frame, a

plowing it is desirable that one of the trac tionfwheels E, E travel'inthe bottom of the furrow while the other traction wheel travels on theland, and in order to make the necessary compensation use is made of asupplementary axle D (see Fig. l) secured to the axle frame C andadapted to carry the traction wheel E or E removed for the time beingfrom the corresponding sect-ion D or D of the divided axle. On thesection D or D from which its traction wheel E or E has been removed issecured a sprocket wheel D connected by a sprocket chain 1) with asprocket wheel D secured to the hubof the traction wheel E or E so thatthe rotary motion given to the corresponding section of the divided axleis trans mitted by the sprocketwhcels D, D and the sprocket chain D tothe corresponding trac: tion wheel E or E. The axle D is located a.distance below the divided axle so that the traction wheels .E and Etravel ondifferentlevels, that is, one in the bottom of the furrow andthe other on the land, as will be readily understood by reference toFig. 4. I

It is understood that the axle D can be attached to the axle frame Geither on the right or left handside thereof for supporting thecorresponding traction wheel E 01' E.

If desired, the bracket Q, may be used for supporting a supplementaryrear axle S carrying rear wheels S to support the rear end of theplatform A if the latter is not coupled to a farm wagon N or similarmachine I or the like. In this case the traction engine can be usedwholly independently of the wagon and the farm vehicle to be propelledcan be attached to the rear end of the platform A in any suitablemanner.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

1. In a traction engine, a platform to the rear end of which a vehicleis adapted to be secured, said platform being provided with a seat, apivoted axle carrying frame, traction Wheels, a steering shaft on theplatform adjacent the seat, means operatively connecting the steeringshaft with the axle longitudinal shaft mounted on the platform andhaving its front end geared with the steering shaft, and an auxiliarysteering shaft operatively connected with the rear end of thelongitudinal shaft, said auxiliary steering shaftextending rearwardlybeyond the rear end of the platform. 2. In a traction engine, a:platform to the rear end of which a vehicle is adapted to be secured,"said platform being provided with a seat, a pivoted axle carrying frame,

traction wheels, a steering shaft on the platform adjacent the seat andhaving a pulley at its lower end, a. cable winding on sait pnlley andhaving connected to the axle frame, a longitudinalshaft on the platform,gearing between the front end of said "-hand lever and extendingrearwardly be 20, .yond therear end of'theplatform, a steer'- frame fromsaid shaft, .a longitudinal shaft geared with Y the steering shaft, and.a second platforms shaft and 'the steering. shaft, and .an auxlharysteering shaft eonnectedby a universal joint with the rear end of-thelongitudinal shaft, said auxiliary steer g haft extend'- mg rearwardlybeyond the rear end of the 3. .In a traction. engine, a'platform to therear .endof which a-vehicle is adapted to be secured, apivotedaxle'carryin frame, traction w heels; amotorymeans' or operatmg'.

Y the traction wheels-from the. motor, means 15 lever connected with.the controlling means;

for controlling the operating means,. a. hand a second. hand leverconnected with the first mg shaft, means for operating-the axlesteeringxshaft operatively. connected with =5- the longitudinal shaft;sa d. second steering 2 shaft extending rearwardly jheyondthejrear endof the plat-f 4. The combinationqvehicle Lav-1; 3

ing: aJsfeat', a platform to the end of which-the vehicle is secured,the-platform hem provided with as'eat, a motor on vthe wheels on theaxles, gearing: for operating a'ting lever 'on the platformv adjacentthe .ating mechanism from" said lever, a second operating lever on" theplatform I and ex-.

being connected with the first-named lever, a steeringrshaft mounted onthe platform aQ acent to the platform seat, means opera- F'J..Gon'rraMoaI-m,

plat arm, a pivoted axle. frame mountedlin' theplatform, axles in the.frame, traction FRED the traction wheels from the motor, anoperseat-thereof, means for controlling the 'opertending to the, 'seatof the vehicle,-said lever tively connecting the steering shaft with the

